Friday, February 10, 2017

Arrests in Montpellier, plan of attack foiled : what do we know ? – Ouest-France

Four people suspected of preparing an attack were arrested in Montpellier on Friday morning by the Sub-directorate anti-terrorism. The suspects are aged from 16 to 33 years, one of them would have planned to ” blow themselves up “. The Interior minister Bruno Le Roux has insisted on the “imminence” of this project and the First minister Bernard Cazeneuve on the threat level.

Who are the four people arrested this morning in Montpellier ?

three men, aged 20, 26 and 33 years old, and a girl, aged 16 years, all suspected to plan a suicide attack on a tourist site in Paris. They were arrested in Montpellier and the surrounding area.

The girl had been spotted on the social networks, after you have expressed the desire to leave in a zone of the syro-iraqi or otherwise to hit France. “ to one of his accomplices was one of the objectives of the Directorate-general of internal security (ISB) “, said a police source.

Why were they arrested ?

” The four suspects have been arrested after they had purchased acetone “, a product that can be used in the manufacture of an explosive device, said police.

What does it found in homes ?

a Few tens of grams of TATP, a very powerful explosive, but unstable, as well as the products and utensils that make it possible to manufacture : acetone, hydrogen peroxide, syringes, and protective gloves.

The whole of this material was found in the home of one of the supects, a young man of 22 years known for its radicalization and the boyfriend of the 16 year-old girl, converted to islam, she is also known for its radicalization.

What were the projects of the suspects ?

” investigators believe that a passage to the act was expected, but it is not known where and how “, said a source close to the folder. “ The will to act and to make several explosive devices seems to be materialized “, said a police source, welcoming a ” project attack foiled “.

According to the first elements of which have the investigators, the mentor of the young girl, aged 20, was planning to ” explode “.

To the minister of the Interior Bruno Le Roux, the project of attack was ” imminent “. It would have taken place on French soil.

What is the level of the terrorist threat in France ?

France, under the regime of a state of emergency since the attacks of jihadist 2015 and 2016, still faces a terrorist threat very high. Last Friday, an Egyptian 29-year-old had attacked him with a machete in each hand, military personnel at the carrousel du Louvre in Paris, shouting ” Allah Akbar “.

” We are facing a level of terrorist threat is extremely high, which forces us every moment to take all precautions to ensure the protection of our fellow citizens, “, has confirmed the First minister Bernard Cazeneuve, in moving this Friday in the Hollow.

The threat ” means for the security forces of the interior, and in particular for the intelligence services, an activity that is extremely intense, “, added Mr Cazeneuve, who spoke about ” since the beginning of the year 2016, hundreds of arrests of individuals who have been to most of them with a judicial background “.

many Of the attacks, or projects that have been foiled since the beginning of 2015. On the 13th of December last, the minister of the Interior Bruno Le Roux had been reported in ” no less than 13 attempts involving thirty or more people “, including women and minors, since the attack in Nice, July 14.

is it possible to improve the anti-terrorist fight at the international level ?

The First minister Bernard cazeneuve called for” european initiatives to strengthen the protection that the european institutions are to the citizens of the Union “, citing as examples” the interconnection of files, the implementation of the device entry-exit, the application of the NRP (name record data of passengers) european and the reform of the Schengen information system “.

” What are all these subjects that have been worn by the France, often in connection with Germany, and that should allow also to the european plan to strengthen our protection against terrorism “, he said.

The TATP, a powerful but unstable

Discovered in the XIXTHe century by a German chemist, TATP is very powerful, even in small quantities. Very unstable, the white crystals that make it up are likely to explode at the slightest spark or under too much heat. They were dubbed ” mother of Satan “ by the insurgents palestinians who have used it in the 1980s.

that was Used during the terrorist attacks of 2005 in London, the attacks of November 13, in Paris and in a series of terrorist attacks foiled in Europe since 2007, the TATP appears as the explosive for the election of the ARS.

Unlike the combat weapons used in the attack of 13 November, it does not allow the security services of the european track the activities of potential attackers, because its components can be purchased freely in diy stores or pharmacies.